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Monday, February 3, 2014

Greece

Melanie Toth '15

All
of us learning traditional Greek dance while on Lesvos

What is your major?

Sociology/AnthropologyWhy did you decide to study abroad? I
decided to study abroad because I have always had an urge to travel, am
fascinated by culture, and therefore thought that an abroad experience, no
matter the location, would enhance my degree at LC.

Why did you choose Greece? I
chose Greece not only because of its immense beauty but also because of the
program's archeology focus. I have always wanted to learn more about archeology
and am even considering it as a potential career path

Listening to a lecture from our
Archeology

teacher while at Ephesus, in Turkey.

What was your living situation like?Our
program was divided into a few different sections. We were in Athens in
September, in Lesvos in October, and then came back to Athens for November. In
Athens, we all lived in our own apartments. All of us LC students were grouped
together in apartments (about four per apartment) in various places in
neighborhood adjoining our school in Athens. This was a really exciting source
of independence for a lot of us, but also gave us the option of having each
other near by. While in Lesvos, we all stayed in a family run hotel, two to a
room. This felt more like living in the dorms because we were together all the
time. Having these two experiences was great, because in Athens it allowed us
to make our own identity in the city, but we all got very close while living at
the hotel.

One
of the stunning Meteora monasteries

Highlights of the program:Highlights
of the program were with out a doubt the bond that we all formed through our
group travels. We got to see all over Greece, not just the places we lived, as
well as taking a trip to Turkey together. I can safely say for all of us that our
travel weekends to Delphi, Olympia, Metsovo, Meteora, Nafplio, and our week in
Turkey were some of the best times on our trip. Challenges of the program:A challenge of the program was our academic schedule. We had class six hours a day four
days a week and, like I said, spent a lot of time on the weekends at ancient
sites. As LC students, it was
not the academic rigor that was especially difficult, but adjusting to a new
culture and new schedule for class and homework time did prove to be a
challengeAdvice you wish you had been given before your program?

View
of Athens from the Acropolis

Before my program, of course people
were telling me to enjoy every second, and absorb as much as I possibly could,
so I won't tell you to do that because of course you will. I do wish, however,
that someone had told me in September to not be as stressed as I was about
school and to get out into the city more. When coming back to Athens in
November, I sort of figured this out for myself by setting myself a goal of
going to at least two new places in Athens each week. This is something that I
wish I had done in September as well because I was able to explore my city,
while still staying focused in my classes. Finding a balance between academics
and adventuring in a new country is something that I wish I was better equipped
to handle. Savor every second because it will fly by!

A
location for many a class, the Parthenon

Additional comments?I've
just gotten back to LC for the spring semester, and everyone says the same
thing: "How was it?!" How can I sum up what was the most incredible
and full experience of my life so far? The friendships and experiences I had
while in Greece have absolutely changed who I want to be and I have
learned more about both the contemporary and ancient world than I thought I
could. What is incredible about the Greece program is the degree to which you
learn. Being able to learn and practice archeology in Greece, is valuable no
matter what your major or interest. Getting in the dirt and learning about this
world in such a physical way is absolutely remarkable. To see more of what our
experience was like in Greece I also wrote a blog while there. It is titled,
after my desire to be Indiana Jones, whereismybullwhip.tumblr.com.

If you have any questions for Melanie or about the Greece program in general, please follow thislink to the Ask An Alum moodle page.